There were a lot of things I liked the about this clip, but the statement “If this is going to be a Christian Nation that doesn’t help the poor, then we’ve got to pretend that Jesus was just as selfish as we are or we’ve got acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition and then admit…, we just don’t want to do it” rated a fist pump and a “YES!” Why did I like this so much? Because I hear conservatives constantly going on about how the United States is a Christian Nation and then advocating some very unChristian things. Like, cutting taxes for the rich and blocking social programs that help the poor. Quoting Colbert again, “Jesus was always flappin’ gums about the poor, but not once did he call for tax cuts for the richest two percent of Romans”. In the story of the rich young ruler, Jesus tells the wealthy man to sell all his possessions and follow Him. So, if you’re really a Christian, asking you to pay more in taxes is actually less than what Jesus was asking for. I don’t see the problem here.

The trouble with saying that we’re a Christian nation isn’t so much about history or rights or any of the other things that get brought when this is mentioned. The trouble is that we don’t act like a Christian nation. We never have. In our history, we’ve enslaved people, persecuted them because of their race, creed, sexual preference or any number of other reasons, fought wars that were anything but just, created a permanent underclass and worked very hard to keep them there…, I could go on, but I think you get the point. I’m drawn to portions of the quote I mentioned in the first paragraph, “If this is going to be a Christian Nation…we’ve got acknowledge that He commanded us to love the poor and serve the needy without condition…” Yeah, I just picked certain parts of that quote; I picked the parts that gave me hope. Hope that maybe someday, we’ll live up to the title of “Christian Nation” and do the things in that out-of-context quote. Hope that one day, as a nation, we’ll love the poor and serve the needy…, without condition.

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3 Responses to “A Christian Nation?”

The Bible also states in John 12:8 that the poor will always be among you. Jesus did not tell person who was financially successful to sell everything. That was an isolated incident to prove a point. The proble we have with defining rich is dependent on where you live. I grew up in a small town and if someone made $100K a year that was a lot of money. Now I live in a large city and I couldn’t pay rent on a two bedroom apartment and still be able to eat if I made less than $75K a year. It is all perception.

So, the story of the rich young ruler was an isolated incident to prove a point? I’ll agree with that; the point being that it’s incumbent on all of us to take care of the poor. You’re also right that wealth depends on where you live. Compared to some people, I’m so far from wealthy, it’s not funny. Compared to the majority of folks in this world, I’m blessed with untold riches. Because God has given me all this goodness, it’s my responsibility to share with those who don’t have as much. My perception is, no matter how little you have, there is always someone else with less. And, it’s up to us to help them.
As far as the verse in John 12, does it mean that since the poor will always be with us, people are justified in ignoring them? Since the poor will always be with us, does that mean it’s okay for the rich to get richer while others in our own communities starve, freeze or die from easily cured diseases? Since the poor will always be with us, does that mean it’s okay for corporations to take advantage of them by paying a less-than-living wage? I don’t think so. That, to me, is the exact opposite of what Jesus preached for his Kingdom.

Jesus said LOVE THY NEIGHBORS, he also said DO UNTI OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU. THe bible says there will be wars and rumors of war. The bible tells the past, present and future. Read it. Educate yourself before makeing unfounded statements.